1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to portable massive structures which are used for applications such as seawalls and highway barriers.
2. Description of Prior Art
Barrier having substantial mass have a variety of uses.
Traffic barriers serve not only to guide motorists, but to protect construction crews from injury. Significant mass is desired in order to absorb the energy of an errant vehicle to protect both life and property. Massive barricades also control crowds, have various military uses, and protect embassies and other governmental structures from terrorist threats.
Massive seawalls protect coastal areas from the ravages of storms and are also constructed for flood control to prevent water damage in runoff areas such as riverlands.
Coastal areas are constantly being battered by waves. Not much can be done about the destructive waves of such occurrences hurricanes and earthquakes. However, seawalls, also known as breakwaters, have shown to be effective in reducing erosion and protecting shore property. They are massive structures which form a barrier with which waves collide and lose at least part of their destructive energy. By absorbing this energy, seawalls prevent waves from releasing that energy on more valuable property. Consequently, these energetic waves are not able to carry away as much sand from beach areas, thereby reducing erosional effects.
Although the underlying principles of wave processes are not fully understood, it is generally accepted that during periods of low energy wave action beaches tend to stabilize and even accrete. Higher energy waves drag sand offshore. Through placement of seawalls during periods of destructive wave activity, such as during storms and winter conditions in general, it is suggested herein that erosion of certain beach areas can be reduced or stopped.
Seawalls are also used to protect inland areas which are subject to flooding. They may be used to direct floodwaters away from critical areas. The use of sandbags is a common protective measure in areas which are prone to flooding. They may be regarded as temporary seawalls, which are used in emergencies and removed afterward. More permanent structures, such as levees, serve to protect by providing an unobstructed and less damaging path for water to flow.
Construction of massive temporary barriers, at present, is a difficult and time-consuming process, in most cases requiring heavy equipment and a considerable amount of labor. These structures are many times comprised of concrete forms which must be delivered to the site and positioned by heavy equipment. A need exists for a simple method to construct a temporary barrier which has substantial mass, is portable, requires minimal storage space, is inexpensive, and does not require heavy equipment. It is proposed herein that the instant invention fulfills all these necessities.
A novel method presented herein for building massive seawalls involves creation of modules which hold dense material available at the site of construction, such as sand and gravel. A module is transported in a separated or folded condition, and thereafter assembled and connected into a modular structure in a manner such that dense fill material may be easily loaded into the module and thereafter the module may be firmly closed. A module is constructed of separate connected panels which are made of a lightweight but durable material such as plastic or wood. Even large modules may be handled by workmen and fill material may be loaded manually or by utilizing light equipment. A multiplicity of modules of the instant invention may be placed in a linear manner forming a continuous massive wall in relatively little time. Since a module is not watertight, water may enter. This actually will temporarily increase the density of most fill material, since it tends to fill voids and the crevices between solid particles. This increased density weighs the module down even more securely. Of course, some outward seepage does occur, and some fill material will be lost. This seepage is insignificant, since minimal losses occur over short time periods, refill holes are designed so lost fill material may be replaced, and optional impervious insert bags or liners can be added to reduce losses. Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,520 teaches a substantially prismatic closed container which may be filled with liquid through a fill hole. Because it is not foldable, this prior art requires more storage and transport space, and is bulky when carrying. Additionally, the density of the fill material, mostly water, allows for a less massive structure than the instant invention, rendering it less likely to withstand energetic forces. Since the modules of prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,520 and others have a specific gravity closely approximating that of water, they will nearly float when inundated. The invention presented herein is substantially filled with a high density material and therefore is less buoyant when immersed and able to resist movement when impacted by waves or other external forces. Also, the enclosed massive fill material consists of more solid matter, provides substantial resistive strength and therefore prevents damage and maintains the shape of the module.
Most prior art regarding seawalls presented herein fail to have the advantage of portability associated with the instant invention. The proposed device makes it possible to erect protection against water in a short period of time, and remove it quickly thereafter. None of the prior art describes this capability. A seawall module utilizes material found near the construction site to provide needed mass, although fill material may be transported if necessary. A module partially filled with sand or gravel approximates the resistive characteristics of an equivalent structure comprised substantially of concrete.
Although some of the referenced prior arts are portable and may be effective in certain highway guidance applications, their designs fall short of providing the mass, stability, strength and durability of the instant invention. The ability of the prior art to impede the progress of a moving vehicle is minimal. This invention provides a greater degree of protection in these instances. Currently, drums full of water or sand are used for certain highway applications to disperse energy of vehicles which may collide with them. The instant invention provides his energy-dispersing feature, but it is simpler to store, transport, assemble, and disassemble.
By altering the dimensional characteristics of a module, such as increasing the base panel size or changing the angles of the panels with respect to each other, factors such as stability, verticality and height may be varied. Many foldable designs are possible, only some of which are described herein. A more complete description of the invention follows, which will describe alternatives and obvious advantages of the device.
Several objects and advantages of the present invention are.
(a) to provide an effective barrier for protection from moving objects and wave action;
(b) to provide an easily constructible barrier;
(c) to provide an inexpensive massive barrier utilizing materials from nearby areas
(d) to provide a barrier which may be constructed or removed in a relatively short period of time;
(e) to provide a barrier which does not require the use of heavy equipment for construction
(f) to provide a barrier which is foldable or stackable into a compact configuration so that a minimal space is occupied for storage and transport
(g) to provide a barrier which has significant mass
(h) to provide a massive barrier which may be used for protection in a variety of situations